Garment bag



W. B. COLLINS GARMENT BAG Filed Feb. 12. 1926 I Maw BY aw y ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM. BURNS ooumaor BEVERLY HILLS. CAILIII'QIB'NIA.v

GARMENT BAG. 4

Application filed February 12, 1826. Serial No. 87,788.

My invention relates to garment bags which are usually made of relatively stout but flexible paper, cloth or other fabric, such,

for instance, asfibre-paper, and are employed for the storage of garments and the like and their protection against dust and moths; and my purpose is to improve such bags.

For this purpose 1 provide a garment bag having a side opening for the insertion and removal of the garments, and which is pro vided with a dust and moth-proof closure and quick-acting fastening means for such open- Other novel features of construction, and also v of arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated the best embodiment of the principles of my invention now known to me, Fig. 1 is a broken front elevation of a garmcnt bag embodying such principles, its ver t-ical side opening being shown closed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail taken in horizontal section showing the side of the bag open; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same closed, as in Fig. 1; 4 is an enlarged detail in vertical section showing the spreader strut in its substantially vertical or folded position which it assumes when the bag is closed; Fig.

5 is a similar view showing the strut sub-=- stantially horizontal or extended to hold the front and rear walls of the bag separated when he bag is open; Fig. 6 is a partial inside elevation of the front wall of the bag showing the strap in which the free end of the strut slides, and Fig. 7 is a detail in section along the lines VII-VII in Fig. 1 showing the bag suspension means.

Referring to the drawing, the bag is formed of relatively heavy and stout paper, cloth or other fabric, folded vertically,as at 1 to provide the front wall 2 and the rear wall 3. The bottom 4 of the bag is closed. The top of the bag is closed at its side along the diverging lines 5 but at the center there is a horizontal opening between the front and rear walls and through said opening upward 1y protrudes a pierced ear 6 or" a metal plate 7 which is securely anchored against the inner face of the rear wall 3 of the bag, as by the prongs 8 of said plate extending through and clinched against the outer surface of the wall 3.

The lower end of said plate 7 is provided with an integral hook 9 facing toward the inside of the bag from which may be suspended the hanger upon which the garment is hun 10 represents twin metal hooks facing in opposite directions and pivotally connected to the opposite side of the ear 6, as by the rivet 11.

The hooks 10 engage from opposite sides the rail or closet hook from which the garment bag is suspended, and the engagement is such t at an accidental dislodgment or the bag from its support is prevented, so that a garment or garments hung on a hanger may be inserted in the bag with the hanger hook or loop engaging the hook 9 or the hanger and garments may be removed from the bag, while the bag remains suspended from its support.

It is evident that the weight of the suspended garments is carried by the metal plate and the support from which'it is suspended, and not by the paper material oi the bag, and all the strains incident to inserting a garment and its hanger into the has or removing them therefrom are taken up y the plate and its support and are not transmitted to the bag.

The side of the bag opposite the edge 1 is arranged to be opened for the introduction and removal of the garments.

Thus 1 have shown the rear wall 3 extended to form a flap 12 which overlaps in front of the vertical edge 14: of the front wall 2. To insure a dust-tight and moth-proof closure, I told the material of the flap 12 so as to form a relatively deep trou h 13 into which the edge 1d of the front wall 2 is introduced, thus providing a three-ply closure for the bag opening.

The opening extends substantially the full length of the hag except at the extreme top and bottom, where the parts are glued or otherwise permanently "fastened tightly together.

The side opening is provided with suitable fastening means so that it may beheld closed.

Thus I provide the flap or the rear wall and the front wall with vertically disposed fiexible stringers or tapes 15 which are provided with the opposed metal locking fingers 16 which are in staggered relation and are brought into interlocking relation when the sliding clasp 17, which is provided by a handle 18 is moved in one direction, and are disengaged from cachet-her when the clasp is moved in the opposite direction, thus providing a quick-acting fastening means whereby the side opening of the bag may be readily and quickly opened and closed.

I provide means for spreading the walls of the bag apart, when the bag is open, to facilitate the insertion and removal of the garments.

Thus I provide adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the bag-opening a strut 19 which may be formed of sulliciently stiil' wire or metal strips to provide a prop, one end of each strut being pivotall connected to one of the walls of the bag w iile its other end is slidably connected to the other wall. Thus each strut 19 is provided with ends in the form of flat loops, one of the loops being pivotally attached to the inner face of the rear wall 3 by means of the paper or metal strap 20 glued or otherwise fastened to the wall 3, while the other looped end of the strut is slidable in strap 21, fastened to the inner face of the wall 2, the intermediate portion of the strap 21 for a suflicient distance being free from the wall so the strut may occupy the substantially vertical position shown in Fig. 4 when the bag is closed and may be raised into the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 5 to prop the bag walls apart when the bag is open thus spreading the bag open to facilitate the insertion and removal of garments.

What I desire to claim is 1. A dust and insect proof receptacle for garments and other articles comprising a hollow body having an elongated opening formed therein for the insertion and removal of articles into and from the same, the material of said receptacle along one edge of said opening being folded upon itself to provide a trough extending substantially the full length of said opening, the material of said receptacle along the other edge of said opening constituting a tongue adapted to be engaged in said trough to close the receptacle, and means to secure said tongue in said trough, said securing means being composed of cooperating elements secured to and extending continuously along the outside of the trough and'tongne portions respectively of said receptacle throughout the length of said opening whereby all portions of said tongue are secured with equal certainty within said trough to efi'ectively prevent dust and insects from entering the receptacle, said securing means including a pair of flaps having their remote edges secured respectively on opposite sides of said opening to form a cover for the joint when closed.

2. A dust and insect proof receptacle for garments and other articles comprising a hollow body having an elongated opening formed therein for the insertion and removal of articles into and from the same, means providing a trough extending entirely along one edge of said opening, means providing a tongue extending entirely along the other edge of said opening, said tongue being adapted to he engaged in said trough to close the receptacle, and means to secure said tongue in said trough, said means being composed of cooperating elements secured to and extending continuously along the outside of said trough and tongue respectively throughout the length of said opening whereby all portions of said tongue are secured with equal certainty within said trough to etiectively prevent dust and insects from entering the receptacle, said securing means including a pair of flaps having their remote edges secured respectively on opposite sides of said opening to form a cover for the joint when closed.

3. A dust and insect roof receptacle for garments comprising a iollow body having an elongated opening formed therein to permit the insertion or removal of garments into and from the receptacle. a trough-like edge portion formed on one edge of the opening into which the other edge of the opening is adapted to snugly fit when the garment-is in closed position, fla )S secured to the outside of the receptacle ad acent the edges of the opening. and cooperating fastening means on said flaps to form a continuous fastener to close the opening throughout the length thereof.

Signed at Beverly Hills, California, this 5th day of February, 1926.

WILLIAM BURNS COLLINS. 

